Artemis II sets record for farthest human journey from Earth

The Artemis II mission has now seen humans travel farther from Earth than ever before.

At 17:56 UTC on Monday (April 6), the Orion spacecraft Integrity, with its four astronauts on board, exceeded the previous record of 400,171 kilometers (248,655 miles) set by Apollo 13 in 1970.

According to NASA, the mission achieved its furthest point from Earth at 23:02 UTC: 406,771 kilometers as the spacecraft moved past the far side of the Moon. This surpasses the Apollo 13 record by 6,616 kilometers.

For perspective, the average distance to the Moon is about 384,400 kilometers, meaning Orion journeyed tens of thousands of kilometers beyond it.

"As we break through to new distances for human travel from planet Earth, we're honoring the incredible efforts and achievements of previous pioneers in human space exploration," mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency mentioned in a declaration.

"We will continue onward further into the cosmos before Mother Earth draws us back to what we cherish. Yet, we emphasize using this moment to challenge both the current generation and the next one to ensure this record does not stand for long."

As the craft moved behind the Moon, it lost contact with Earth for about 40 minutes due to the Moon blocking the signal.

At 23:24 UTC, Integrity appeared again, offering its crew a sight few have witnessed in person: an Earthrise over the Moon's edge.

Communications have resumed between the spacecraft and its four astronauts – mission commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.

NASA reports indicate that all systems are normal, a technical term meaning they are functioning as expected.

The record is astonishing and motivating, but there's more to Integrity than just the record. 

This mission is part of the plan to bring humans back to the Moon's surface, and as the Artemis program's first mission with a crew, Artemis II acts as an essential test of the systems designed to transport and support astronauts during their journey.

As the first crewed mission into deep space since the last of the Apollo missions in 1972, it also offers mission planners insights into how extended space travel impacts a human team that needs to coexist in confined spaces far from home.

Up to now, the crew has shown adaptability when faced with unexpected, rather routine issues, such as fixing problems with Outlook and maintenance on Orion's toilet system.

However, amidst the routine, there are sublime moments as well. Integrity carried the astronauts 6,545 kilometers away from the Moon's surface while passing by its far side.